Most accurate cast for microgroove

[Cheesehead]

I understand an over sized cast bullet works best for micro groove barrels. Any particular commercial cast bullet recommendations for accuracy? How much over size is best? This is for my 1895 in 45/70. Thank you in advance.

Cheese

[EsoxLucius]

Most diehard casters recommend slugging the barrel and then selecting bullets sized 0.01" or 0.02" over the groove diameter.  Hence, if your bore's groove diameter is .458" select .459" or .460" cast bullets.  I have found in my 1977-vintage Marlin 1895 that the .459" 460 grain WFNGC from Cast Performance and the .460" 405 grain LFN GC from Beartooth Bullets produce good accuracy.

[Cheesehead]

Thanks Esox

I have ordered some oregon trail laser cast 350 grain at .459 inches. I will also try your recommendations. Have you tried them for hunting rounds? I have had great accuracy and hunting results with Hornady 350 grain round nose and wanted to try cast for hunting and plinking.

Cheese

[EsoxLucius]

I haven't tried the LaserCast for several years now and never used them for hunting, but here are some loads for them.
http://www.realguns.com/loads/4570cast.htm

[Mikey]

Cheese - hie yourself over to the Beartooth Bullet site - they have a wide range of 45-70 slugs and good (very good) information, commensurate with Veral Smith's writings (and often quoted) on bore lapping microgroove barrels for maximum cast bullet accuracy.  HTH.  Mikey.

[Lloyd Smale]

Ive used cast in all my microgroves for years and have had no problems. Just cast them hard and they will work fine

[lance1586]

Hey fellas, I had my Marlin 336 in .35 Rem at the range yesterday and shot some of my regular jacketed load to check zeros for an upcoming match.  The night before I had decided to put together ten reduced loads because I wanted try out a light load to use on the chickens @50 yards on an upcoming match.  I used some cast .358 SWC pistol bullets that I had laying around, and a little shot of Unique.  I seated them so that the crimp was on the second "ridge" on the bullet just forward of the big gas check area?  As you can tell by my lack of vocabulary I'm no experienced cast bullet guy. I would have seated them to OAL specs but the neck would have ended up going inside one of the grooves in the bullet so I had to seat them about .045 shorter to give me a solid area to crimp the neck.  Anyway, (there's a question in here I promise) I tried loading these things but they would hang up in the chamber and would not allow me to close the action.  They just wouldn't go that last little bit I needed on order to close the action and I didn't want to force it and get a bullet stuck in there!  I measured the neck of the brass on a jacketed load compared to my cast load and they were the same.  These were pistol bullets does that make a difference?  BTW I am using a LEE three die set that has the factory crimp die that I used.  Thanks in advance, Lance

[pathfinder]

I understand an over sized cast bullet works best for micro groove barrels. Any particular commercial cast bullet recommendations for accuracy? How much over size is best? This is for my 1895 in 45/70. Thank you in advance.

Cheese

I've had excellent results with the Oregon Trail Laser-Cast bullets.  In my Guide Gun (ballard) the favorite load is .459" 405 gr bullets driven just under 1500 fps. 

In my 336 (30-30) microgroove barrel the .310" Oregon Trail Laser Cast bullets shoot as well as jacketed bullets up to around 1600 fps.    For a fun light load I use the 170 gr RN-FP over Red Dot ( www.gmdr.com ), very light recoil and low report and amazingly accurate out to 50 yards.